Court jails man 20 years for concealing information on alleged bandit

The Federal High Court in Abuja has sentenced Muhammad Sani to 20 years imprisonment for concealing information about the activities of an alleged notorious bandit and terrorism-related offences.

Justice Emeka Nwite handed down the sentence after convicting Sani on two counts bordering on withholding intelligence that could have led to the arrest of the suspect and facilitating terrorism-related activities.

Sani was arrested by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) in January 2023 and later arraigned on a four-count charge.

According to the prosecution, Sani failed to disclose information about an alleged notorious bandit identified as Danranmi, who was said to supply arms and ammunition to kidnappers and bandits operating in parts of Niger State. The prosecution argued that Sani’s failure to report the information contributed to the suspect’s escape.

The DSS also alleged that Sani received N580,000 from Danranmi to purchase 150 rounds of ammunition from an individual identified as “Chairman”, despite having reasonable grounds to believe the ammunition would be used to commit offences under the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act 2022.

Justice Nwite found Sani guilty on counts one and two of the charge and sentenced him to 20 years imprisonment on each count without the option of a fine.

The court ordered that the sentence take effect from January 11, 2023, the date of his arrest. Sani is to serve his jail term at the Kuje Correctional Centre in Abuja.